Identification of producer and biological activities of new antibiotics, mimosamycin and chlorocarcins.

A strain of Streptomyces, No. 314 identified as a Streptomyces lavendulae produced under a novel condition of culture, four new antibiotics, mimosamycin and chlorocarcins A, B, and C. Among the components of chlorocarcin complex, chlorocarcin A was found to be most biologically active. This antibiotic inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus FDA 209P and Corynebacterium diphtheriae at the concentrations of 0.1 and 0.003 mcg/ml, respectively. Chlorocarcin A also exhibited antitumor activity on EHRLICH carcinoma, ascitic and solid forms, and mouse leukemia L1210. Mimosamycin proved to be mainly active on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and inactive on the experimental murine tumors.